bio

photo by Michael Wade

Sonya Philip has always made things. It's the way things were done in her family. Her father, an architect from Australia, spent weekends laying brick in the backyard or remodeling the house. Her mother, an interior designer from the Philippines, designed and sewed her own wedding dress. Both parents encouraged her to truly look at things and instilled a love for the handcrafted.

Sonya studied drawing and printmaking in high school with every intention of going to art school. Life intervened, as did other areas of fascination, eventually leading to an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. As a self-taught artist, she enjoys the freedom of exploring and stretching mediums. Preferring to work in project series, Sonya practices what she calls 'conceptual craft'. More examples of her art can be found at www.sonyaphilip.com. Sonya lives in San Francisco with her husband and three children.